EFF Explains Why Online Age Verification Differs from In-Person ID Checks

One of the most common refrains we hear from age verification proponents is that online ID checks are nothing new. After all, you show your ID at bars and liquor stores all the time, right?

Online age verification is fundamentally different from showing your ID in person. When you show your ID at a bar, the bouncer looks at it, verifies it's you, and hands it back. That's it. No record is kept, no database is updated, no permanent trail is created.

Age verification mandates would require websites to collect sensitive personal information from all users, creating massive honeypots of data that would be irresistible targets for hackers and government surveillance.

The EFF opposes all forms of age verification mandates because they threaten privacy, free expression, and access to information for everyone, not just minors.